A small town in Portugal is trying evangelism tto integrate Roma there. This is dangerous, as evangelism has a tendency to erase traditions.
In Portugal, the Chega! (That’s enough!), which currently has 12 seats in parliament, is now considered the third political force in the country, with 13.2% of the voting intentions in the latest polls. Although none of its members currently sit in the European Parliament, the party could gain three to four.
In a similar vein to neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, Chega’s ideology is described as anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-LGBTQIA+, anti-Roma, anti-Muslim and conspiratorial, according to a report by the Global Project Against hate and extremism (Global Project against Hate and Extremism, GPAHE).
The Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in a speech on Portugal’s Independence Day commemorated the contribution of Roma who fought for Portugal’s independence. Bruno Gonçalves, the vice president of the Roma organisation “Letras Nómadas” said that “for the first time in five centuries someone has had the courage to remember that the Portuguese are also Roma, who fought, who were also in historical records that often do not appear in textbooks or educational programmes”.
Ricardo Quaresma, a Portuguese Rom and a star footballer is strongly engaged in helping the Roma community in Portugal. His fame certainly helps, but as they say right now in Portugal, can one man end 500 years of racism and discrimination. Not an easy task.
Racism against the Roma community is firmly anchored in Portugal, and it is enough that one Rom steals to brand all Roma as thieves, something that alas, is not only the case in that country.
A new project for integration of migrants and Roma in Portugal. Typical: Throwing Roma in the same pot as migrant makes them alien in a country they have been for 600 years.
The Extreme Right Party Chega uses Roma as scapegoats ahead of the elections. They really stir up racism against Roma right now.
Why do shopkeepers put frogs in their shops in Portugal? Well, it is to keep Roma out.
An article in Al Jazeera on the prevalent racism against Roma in Portugal.
– Portuguese shopkeepers using ceramic frogs to ‘scare away’ Roma. In: Al Jazeera. 04.02.2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/portuguese-shopkeepers-ceramic-frogs-scare-roma-190203235953102.html [link-preview url=”https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/portuguese-shopkeepers-ceramic-frogs-scare-roma-190203235953102.html”]
Gory story in the Sun and the Daily Mail of a woman attacked by Roma who apparently believed sh had an affair with a married Rom.
In any case, this is not what we need …
– GYPSY ‘JUSTICE’. Brit was stripped, stabbed and scalped in ‘ritual shaming’ over alleged affair with a married man by gypsies in Portugal. In: The Sun. 31.01.2019. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8326415/brit-stabbed-scalped-ritual-shaming-gypsies/
– British waitress, 22, is stabbed and stripped naked before her hair is cut off in horror attack ‘by gypsy family who accused her of having an affair with one of their clan’ in Portugal. In: The Daily mail. 01.02.2019. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6655819/British-waitress-22-stabbed-scalped-stripped-naked.html [link-preview url=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8326415/brit-stabbed-scalped-ritual-shaming-gypsies/ “]
An EU program has been helping Roma to enter politics at every level of the Portugese government.
Roma in Portugal are still very much discriminated and stereotypes against them are deeply ingrained.
– Portuguese gypsies “prepare to enter parliament”. In: The Portugal Resident. 30.04.2018. http://portugalresident.com/portuguese-gypsies-“prepare-to-enter-parliament” [link-preview url=”http://portugalresident.com/portuguese-gypsies-“prepare-to-enter-parliament””]
The Portuguese government announced plans at the municipal level to better integrate its Rroma minority. According to a EU survey of Rroma in Europe, also conducted in Portugal, 71 percent of Rroma in that country suffered discrimination within the past five years, and 47 percent in the 12 months preceding the study. This is one of the worst results of the countries surveyed.
– Government announces municipal plans to better integrate gypsy communities. In: The Portugal News Online. 12.04.2017. http://theportugalnews.com/news/government-announces-municipal-plans-to-better-integrate-gypsy-communities/41649 [link-preview url=”http://theportugalnews.com/news/government-announces-municipal-plans-to-better-integrate-gypsy-communities/41649″]
Another result of the survey in the EU on Rroma: Almost half of the interviewed Rroma in Portugal felt they have been discriminated against at some point in the past year! This is an extremely high percentage in a Western European Country.
SHAME
– Portugal’s gypsies feel they are among the most discriminated against in Europe. In: News Online. 01.12.2016. http://theportugalnews.com/news/portugals-gypsies-feel-they-are-among-the-most-discriminated-against-in-europe/40358 [link-preview url=”http://theportugalnews.com/news/portugals-gypsies-feel-they-are-among-the-most-discriminated-against-in-europe/40358″]
Portugal just released the result of the first ever Rroma survey. Around 1’600 Rroma were interviewed as part of this survey. The results show a lack of education, poverty, but also among one group of people, some level of integration ad work.
Such studies are always problematic, as they usually only survey visible Rroma, i.e. the ones who conform to the stereotypes. One should therefore be really careful about extending the results to all Rroma in Portugal where 40 to 50 thousand live and to all Rroma in Europe. There are many who are integrated and who obviously did not make it to this study.
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